Vegan Misconceptions

[Valjean]

I'd like to clear up some misconceptions about being a vegan and my diet as a vegan This should mostly apply to vegetarians too. .A lot of these come in the form of questions or 'concerns'. Feel free to add to this list. Meat eaters remember this is a discussion not a debate. Okay so this is not all of them and its more about my diet then anything else.


Vegans eat foods food. People think that vegans and vegetarians eat nothing but salads. I rarely eat salad. I have not had a salad since i harvested one from my garden, at least 3 months now. Also I have 1 recipe for a "dinner salad" and treat salad as a side most of the time just like most non vegans.

I couldn't live of rice and beans. This one is a bit trickier because i do eat a lot of beans but its not just rice and beans nor is it everyday. First off, like i said, its not everyday. There is pasta with pesto or sauce, quinoa, pearl barley, wheat berries, lentils, nuts and seeds and many other things. Secondly and most importantly its how they are used that really mater.

Examples: we have these bean balls (kidney beans, oat flour, crushed walnut, carrot, seasons) we serve over spaghetti squash. Did we eat beans with that dinner sure did, did we have beans, I don't think so. An even better example might be our Peanut butter and squash Stew, It has black beans in it and is served over rice. The soup features large pieces of squash, seasoned with ginger and hot pepper to taste, with a broth containing tomato puree, broth and peanut butter this dish is anything but "rice and beans"

Examples: mushroom stuffed potato cakes, artichoke and shiitake pasta with butternut and tomato sauce, grilled marinated veggies and mushrooms over couscous, squash burgers, etc.

Another misconception and also something i here from ex vegans is i never felt full or satisfied. My experience and my research has lead me to believe that diet wasn't adequate, likely suffering from a lack of variety among other things.

ehh more to come maybe and you all add some

Weirdo!

 

[Iti oj]

Its worse for my health walking down a street next to a busy road than it is having the odd rasher of bacon every week. The health impact of meat is seriously overrated. Mostly overrated by 'I told you so' vegans.

Just a personal reminder this is not a debate thread in a debate section. It's a discussion in a discussion section. The point is to clear up misconceptions about the life style and diet not to debate or justify it's merits.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Its worse for my health walking down a street next to a busy road than it is having the odd rasher of bacon every week. The health impact of meat is seriously overrated. Mostly overrated by 'I told you so' vegans.

O, no. I am a non-vegetarian and like it very much. It is only for the time-being that I am vegan (due to a taunt about my love for food - to show her that I can leave it at my will). I do not know if I will turn back to a non-vegetarian diet or will remain a vegan. I will not force myself to any particular thing. Let us see.

http://www.discoveredindia.com/jamm...ir/cuisine/non-vegetarian-dishes/kabargah.htm
http://www.discoveredindia.com/jamm...ir/cuisine/non-vegetarian-dishes/gushtaba.htm

 

[Valjean]

It's a lifestyle?

 

[Mindmaster]

Mostly vegan/organic diet? We had that about 25,000 years ago and died at age 35. Our lifespans have increased due to the addition of meat to our diet (making it very easy to make certain nutritional thresholds) and also it was because of our meddling in plants that we've largely made them better. Health arguments are non-valid because mostly they are unproven, and secondly environmental reasons are silly -- agriculture causes most of the domestic pollution in the USA through runoff of fertilizers and pesticides. (Even if you eat organic, the fertilizers are still problematic...) If you enjoy doing it though, that is a good enough reason for me I just don't support conspiracy theories wherever they come from. ;D

Anyway, for me it's just a matter of economics in that vegan food where I live (which is the north/central US) it is very difficult to buy a largely vegan diet and not go broke -- especially during the winter. During spring, the prices of these food items come down to reasonable levels and we have more options but like anyone else I find it terribly annoying to mind the new availability of items that we don't eat half the year. I personally have no aversion to vegan or vegetarian food and would eat either if it was there and it tastes good to me. I have tried before to eat vegan mostly when I feel I have been overdoing the meat, but again I generally am forced to not do it for financial reasons.

As far as people from India, or other people who have nearly 365 day grow seasons (or 366 this year, happy leap day!) it's just not an apples to apples comparison. That food is going to be cheaper domestically for them because they have a nearly unlimited availability droughts notwithstanding. I liken it to Pumpkins where I am -- we grow more than anyone else... Thus, they are silly cheap here during the season... We can make pumpkin pie every week if we wanted because we are paying pennies a pound. In India, I have no doubt this is applying for the most part as well. Let's face it, I would assume most of them are not eating vegan due to choice, but rather it is the most frugal option. India's water quality is the second worse in the world next to China, and it is largely agriculture related.

I'm not trying to change anyone's religion here, but I just think some of these reasons are largely invalid. If you enjoy it, it doesn't bother me... But, there is a lot of bunk being floated around.

 

[Mindmaster]

I'm unwilling to give up bacon, or various other meats. And I've heard all of the various rhetoric about cruelty and murder...I just don't care.

I'm all for the synthesis of meats, and I believe that synthesised meat research should be better funded so we can get it on the shelves within our lifetime, but I'll never become a vegan. And that's the deal.

The cruelty myth is just that. If Adrenalin makes its way into the meat it largely ruins the flavor. Farms are careful to raise animals in non-cruel manners (they are competing vs neighboring farms, and premium cuts will be tainted) and when slaughtering the first thing that happens is an instant zap or shot to the brain. It is to avoid prolonging the animal suffering that this is done, and again it also ruins the meat. I didn't learn about this through crazy PETA vids, I learned because a lot of my family hunt. You never want to spook animals, and you certainly don't want them to be pained or suffering when being harvested. When hunting you either hit them in the heart or the head, and it is over instantly. In this case, the animals interest and yours happen to line up -- it is better for the animals to be humanely taken, and it is better for the hunter. But, these rules will still apply if you raised livestock -- you would want them to be quickly taken and you would want their lives to be as stress free as possible. Doing anything else is putting a crappy product out which affects the cost -- farmers don't want to see their meat to the dog food makers.

 

[Mindmaster]

I'd say that right now I've been living off of a pescatarian diet, though I only eat seafood maybe once every 3-4 days. Other than that, I eat vegetarian foods. My girlfriend has expressed a desire to eat vegan foods, and I'd like to support her by making her those vegan meals when we eat together, but I'm honestly very ignorant on the subject. I know vegans don't just eat salads all the time, but at the same time, it seems those who live vegan lifestyles do a lot of cooking. This is a great thing (I enjoy cooking), but sometimes time isn't always on our side, and I need to put together quick and easy meals for us to eat on the fly (and I really don't want to eat sandwiches all the time - I need some variety). I'd like to know how you folks approach that issue. =)

I could do this without feeling any loss. Really, the problem for me is that seafood (non-farm raised) in the USA is all mercury contaminated. It's not healthy to eat it regularly unless you are knowing where exactly it is from. There is also a problem that a lot of Chinese seafood is being dumped on American markets and that stuff is just not safe at all to eat.

 

[Mycroft]

The cruelty myth is just that. If Adrenalin makes its way into the meat it largely ruins the flavor. Farms are careful to raise animals in non-cruel manners (they are competing vs neighboring farms, and premium cuts will be tainted) and when slaughtering the first thing that happens is an instant zap or shot to the brain. It is to avoid prolonging the animal suffering that this is done, and again it also ruins the meat. I didn't learn about this through crazy PETA vids, I learned because a lot of my family hunt. You never want to spook animals, and you certainly don't want them to be pained or suffering when being harvested. When hunting you either hit them in the heart or the head, and it is over instantly. In this case, the animals interest and yours happen to line up -- it is better for the animals to be humanely taken, and it is better for the hunter. But, these rules will still apply if you raised livestock -- you would want them to be quickly taken and you would want their lives to be as stress free as possible. Doing anything else is putting a crappy product out which affects the cost -- farmers don't want to see their meat to the dog food makers.

Local butchers will often go to great lengths to get the most humanely killed meats they can, because they're in fierce competition and pride themselves on the quality of their meat.

 

[Mindmaster]

I think the biggest misconception is that it costs a load more.

No, just don't buy the expensive products labelled "vegan" and use common sense when preparing meals

That is entirely the case here. Honestly, I have no food preference either way -- it is all economics for me.

 

[Aupmanyav]

As far as people from India, or other people who have nearly 365 day grow seasons (or 366 this year, happy leap day!) it's just not an apples to apples comparison.

That is true. At the moment we have nearly all vegetables at 20 cents a pound. Goat meat is 3.7 USD a pound.

.. you would want them to be quickly taken and you would want their lives to be as stress free as possible.

Well, our community (Kashmiri brahmins) prefer halal meat and buy it from Muslim butchers and not from the Hindu butchers. It is supposed to be tastier, though I have not noticed any difference.

 

[Iti oj]

I think the biggest misconception is that it costs a load more.

No, just don't buy the expensive products labelled "vegan" and use common sense when preparing meals

Rice beans pasta veggies

 

[Mindmaster]

Local butchers will often go to great lengths to get the most humanely killed meats they can, because they're in fierce competition and pride themselves on the quality of their meat.

Stressed animals will also not make weight. They do not eat as much as healthy and happy ones, just like people. Yea, farmers go to great lengths to keep them living healthy and happy.

 

[Mindmaster]

That is true. At the moment we have nearly all vegetables at 20 cents a pound. Goat meat is 3.7 USD a pound.

Yea around here, you can pay $3 for out of season per pound (they are trucked in from Mexico usually), and for in-season it's about $1/pound. Our meat prices are about the same. Locally grown, in season, is 20-50 cents/pound -- but, we are in our cold season here. Not getting anything cheap...

Meat is variable, I pay a lot more for seafood because I am not near a coast so $7-10 pound in most cases. Chicken is usually the cheapest @ 1-2 pound, beef is around 2-3 / pound minus fancy cuts which can be double. Our pork is 2-3 pound, but can be as low as $1-1.50 for loins/shoulder.

Anyway, if you had one meat item + a couple of veg items each day that is the most economical way to eat here. The only funny bit around here is that occasionally it is cheaper to eat out than in because the grocery prices will go up and down but the local restaurants will mostly be the same all year.

 

[crossfire]

<...>
But yes, eating vegan food can be really interesting. It's a whole new world and it's amazing all the things you can make just out of plants. My next adventure will be to try to make my own nuggets, I'm still trying to think of which ingredients to combine.

Have your tried falafel? It is really tasty!

 

[Iti oj]

Have your tried falafel? It is really tasty!

Oh I have an amazing one that has no oil and isn't fried.

 

[LuisDantas]

I'm unwilling to give up bacon, or various other meats. And I've heard all of the various rhetoric about cruelty and murder...I just don't care.

I don't think it is reasonable to expect to convince other people to feel confortable with changing their diet. Eating is a very personal thing, after all.

That said, there are real benefits that one can do worse than be aware of. And to me at least it turned out to be possible to gradually diminish the intake of meat.

But if you do not want to do it, then that is that. It is entirely preposterous to expect you or anyone else to be shamed into vegetarianism.

I'm all for the synthesis of meats, and I believe that synthesised meat research should be better funded so we can get it on the shelves within our lifetime, but I'll never become a vegan. And that's the deal.

Personally, I don't think I would eat synthetic meat even if it were readily available to me. I have come to prefer vegetable substitutes, which I believe to be overall healthier.

 

[Aupmanyav]

We have two kinds of 'falafel' in India. One uses 'Urad' lentils (Vigna mungo) and the other 'Moong' (Vigna radiata). The first is soaked with water and put in diluted yoghurt (i.e., Dahi Bada, bada is ball). Two kind of sauces are used together with both, one sweet made of tamarind, the other with green chillies, tangy and spicy. South Indians give their vara with lentil soup and coconut chutney.

Urad vara, South Indian vara, Dahi vara

 

[Adramelek]

I am not vegan, however, I love rice and beans, and usually once or twice a week I eat a vegie dinner something like rice and beans or another combo; baked potato, corn or golden hominy, green beans, blackeye peas or green peas, and either cooked, or raw sliced cabbage with a salad dressing (my preference "thousand island"). = )

 

[crossfire]

We have two kinds of 'falafel' in India. One uses 'Urad' lentils (Vigna mungo) and the other 'Moong' (Vigna radiata). The first is soaked with water and put in diluted yoghurt (i.e., Dahi Bada, bada is ball). Two kind of sauces are used together with both, one sweet made of tamarind, the other with green chillies, tangy and spicy. South Indians give their vara with lentil soup and coconut chutney.

Urad vara, South Indian vara, Dahi vara

Looks yummy. (slang for delicious)

 

[Mindmaster]

Do you live in America? No way its that significantly different then Canada.

Food prices in the USA are highly regional. Produce is cheaper in areas where there is 365 days of growing. Some places dairy is double the cost, etc. Even alcohol is like this...

Because people like data: http://www.bls.gov/regions/mid-atlantic/data/AverageRetailFoodAndEnergyPrices_USandMidwest_Table.htm

Prices tend to be about 20-30% higher in metro regions however... so this table isn't entirely accurate.